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The Atlanta Braves have a core of players locked up for the forseaable future. It's job security for the duration of their prime years.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal rose the question of if the Braves "created too comfortable an environment by awarding so many players extensions."
This was a single sentence in his article in The Athletic, but it was given further discussion when he was on Foul Territory. Rosenthal didn't exactly know if this was the case, but he sees it as a fair question. While locking up talent was viewed as a smart move for Alex Anthopoulos, the flip side of that is not every contract will work out.
Rosenthal said that Michael Harris II' contract is questionable along with Spencer Strider's extention.
"Until he gets back to where he was, you wonder why they did that so soon," Rosenthal said of Strider's contract.
Strider is under contract until 2028 with a club option for 2029. He gets a significant pay bump starting next season, going from $8 million in 2025 to $20 million in 2026. Future performance could make this a steal or a major overpay. Time will tell.
So far, he's a few starts back from UCL surgery recovery and a hamstring injury. He's 0-4 with a 5.68 ERA. It's been shaky. He should get the chance to rebound becuase he's coming off injuries, but in the long term, there is a point to be made.
Rosenthal speculates that the extensions along with other factors, such as notable departures from the roster, have changed the culture and not for the better.
"Maybe they need a kick in the rear in some fashion," he said.
Two losing streaks of six or more games this season and being nine games under .500 could be what wakes them up. It might take an entire down season that totally embarrases them to do that. We're not going to find out what wakes them up until we see the change happen.
Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Sean Murphy are three other notable extensions that last until the end of the decade or beyond.
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Tigers Skipper Reveals 'Very Concerning' Initial Injury Update On Colt Keith
Things are not looking great for the Detroit Tigers right now in more ways than one. They are struggling on the field by dropping seven of their last 10 that includes a sweep against their division rival Cleveland Guardians. Their once comfortable AL Central lead is now down to 3.5 games, which is nerve-wracking based on what else occurred on Thursday. As if this sweep wasn't enough, the Tigers delivered some brutal news when it comes to Colt Keith. He was pulled from the matchup with what was described as back tightness, and based on what manager A.J. Hinch said after the game, it doesn't sound good. "He was coming off and all he was saying to me was, 'I got to come out of the game. I got to come out of the game,'" Hinch said via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. "It's very concerning this time of year, especially when he was that passionate about something going on in his back/side/rib region." By the sounds of it, things appear as if Keith's season is in jeopardy with just nine games remaining before the playoffs get underway. The 24-year-old had slashed .254/.332/.409 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI through 136 games going into Thursday, showing some real flashes of brilliance at times. If he is indeed out, the Tigers have a couple of options, but none of them are ideal. Back To Platooning Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibáñez Detroit went into the season with a major question mark at the hot corner. Their inability to sign Alex Bregman in free agency and then the injury suffered by utility man Matt Vierling has been a major reason why there's been a revolving door at third base. Because of that, outside of Keith, Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibáñez are the only two players with over 100 plate appearances at that position. The Tigers will likely now have to back to platooning with those two players, which is far from ideal. The pair has been prone to extreme streakiness, but this strategy is probably still the safest and most likely option. Jace Jung Jung was supposed to be the heir apparent to the position after Detroit missed out on Bregman, but he did not seize his opportunity. He was largely dreadful when he did get the chance to play, which forced the Tigers to send him back to Triple-A Toledo. He has had a solid season in Triple-A, though, slashing .252/.370/.447 with 17 home runs and 74 RBI in 110 games played. But in 18 games for Detroit, his OPS was right around the .350 mark and he simply could not get going. Jung has struggled in his limited big league opportunities, but the Tigers may not have much other choice than to give him another shot with Keith picking up this injury. Kevin McGonigle Admittedly, this one is a complete long shot. The Tigers have said repeatedly that McGonigle is not getting called up this year, so asking him to make his debut in the midst of a tight divisional race before the playoffs get underway is unlikely. Desperate times call for desperate measures, though, and the fanbase is going to clamor for their top prospect to be called up in order to save the day. No matter who the replacement winds up being, the fact that Keith is going to miss some time could be the final blow to a team who has fought through tons of adversity this year but may just be running out of steam at the worst possible point. The next move is to wait and see on just how significant the injury is for Keith, but if it's serious, it would likely spell the end of his season. More Tigers News
Reporter offers theory on why Kirk Cousins has not been traded
There have been multiple injuries to starting quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the NFL season, which has led to speculation that the Atlanta Falcons might finally trade Kirk Cousins. It does not sound like that is close to happening. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Thursday that no teams have reached out to the Falcons about trading for Cousins despite injuries to Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, New York Jets' Justin Fields and Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Cousins was once considered the type of player who would generate buzz if a team's starting QB were to go down. So why hasn't it happened? According to Rapoport, the Falcons have no real incentive to trade Cousins. Cutting the 37-year-old never made sense, as Atlanta has to pay Cousins anyway, hence why the asking price has not dropped significantly. "He is a proven starting quarterback who happens to be the backup quarterback. If Michael Penix gets hurt, Cousins will step in there," Rapoport said. "That allows the Falcons to drive a very, very hard bargain. In other words, if you're going to trade for Kirk Cousins, if you're a team that says, 'Alright, we gotta have this guy,' you're gonna have to pay some of the salary and you're gonna have to give up a real draft pick. That is the luxury the Falcons have. "If they've got to keep him, they can just keep him because he's an excellent, excellent backup quarterback. Perhaps that is why we have not seen a deal yet, but every time there is a real, long-term quarterback injury, we're gonna have the same conversation this season." Kirk Cousins was benched for poor play in 2024 Cousins lost his job to Michael Penix Jr. midway through the 2024 season. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback got off to a decent start in his first season with Atlanta, but then played poorly for a stretch. Cousins finished with 3,508 yards, 18 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions. There were numerous trade rumors involving Cousins during the offseason, but nothing materialized. That is mainly because he is only in the second year of a four-year, $180M contract. The Falcons do not seem eager to eat much of that salary in a trade, unless a team were willing to make it worth their while with draft-pick compensation. A desperate team could still want Kirk Cousins The Bengals are bracing for a lengthy absence for Burrow, who could potentially miss the remainder of the season. The other quarterbacks who have gotten hurt are not expected to be sidelined for very long. It is possible that teams aren't desperate enough this early in the season to give up assets for Cousins. There also seems to be a belief among some that Cousins' skills have declined, which makes it tougher for the Falcons to ask for much in a potential deal.
Packers Get Good News Regarding TE Tucker Kraft’s Knee Injury
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Packers TE Tucker Kraft had “a little scare but all good” regarding the knee injury he suffered during Thursday’s practice squad. “I think he will be OK,” Schefter’s source added. The Packers were optimistic that Kraft’s knee injury wasn’t a season-threatening issue, but they had to get tests run before saying for certain. It’s still unclear whether he will be able to play in Week 3. Kraft, 24, was a two-year starter for South Dakota State and earned first-team All-American honors in 2021 and third-team in 2022. The Packers selected him in the third round with the No. 78 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s in the third year of a four-year, $5,537,934 rookie contract that included a $1,027,588 signing bonus. In 2025, Kraft has appeared in two games for the Packers and caught eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
Colts defender's backhanded compliment is actually a warning for Titans rookie QB Cam Ward
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin has been doing his film study ahead of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, and it sounds like he is looking forward to facing rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Ward threw the first touchdown pass of his NFL career in Tennessee's 33-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. He showed off both his athleticism and arm strength while rolling out to his right and throwing the ball back across his body into the end zone. The end result was a nine-yard touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor, but the ball probably traveled more like 40-50 yards in the air. Franklin was asked on Wednesday about the impressive throw. He praised the former Miami star for his physical talents but said he hopes Ward tries to make a throw across his body like that against Indy. "I hope he throws that play again. It wasn't a good throw, but he's a talented player," Franklin said. "He can make all those throws. His arm angle, obviously, is exceptional. He's got zip on the ball. Like I said, he's the No. 1 overall pick for a reason. "I was a fan of him in college. When you know you got a guy like that that's able to make plays, you just gotta make sure you stay on your assignments. But hopefully he throws that ball again." Ward has had mixed results early on Through his first two NFL two games, Ward has completed just 50.8% of his passes for 287 yards and a touchdown. He has yet to throw an interception, which is a positive sign. Ward also played a bit better in Week 2 against the Rams than he did in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, when he completed 12 of 28 passes for 112 yards. One of the most difficult things for a rookie quarterback to do in the NFL is protect the ball. Ward's touchdown pass to Ayomanor was a sight to behold, but Franklin is right that it is the type of throw that can lead to disaster in the NFL. Tennessee's coaching staff will do their best to make sure Ward does not have to rely on making plays like that.
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